The Day Before Our Mating Ceremony, He Chose Her

Grayson Hale and Bianca Ellery had been inseparable since childhood. No matter what happened, Bianca always came first. She wore our engagement ring before I did. She even tried on my wedding dress before me. Then, the day before Grayson and I were supposed to hold our mating ceremony, he slept with her. When I confronted them, Bianca didn't even look ashamed. "I was worried Grayson wouldn't know what to do on your first night together. I was just helping him practice." Grayson backed her up. "Exactly. I'm just letting Bianca experience it for three days before our ceremony. I never marked her. You're still the only woman I'll take as my mate." I didn't cry or make a scene. I simply mind-linked my father. "Dad, cancel my mating ceremony with Grayson. Find me someone else." If I had to share his love, I didn't want it. Chapter 1 One day before Grayson and I were supposed to become mates, he slept with Bianca, his childhood friend. They had been inseparable for as long as I could remember. Grayson always insisted she was like a sister to him. But whenever something happened, Bianca was the first person he thought of. At our engagement party, there was a moonstone necklace meant for the future Luna. Instead of putting it around my neck, Grayson gave it to Bianca. I only got to wear it after she'd had her fun with it. By the next morning, the whole pack was laughing behind my back. Then came the rogue attack. Bianca and I were both in danger, but Grayson didn't hesitate. He went straight for her. Only after getting her somewhere safe did he remember me and send his guards for me. They were too late. I was badly hurt and nearly died. When I finally woke up, I couldn't hold back anymore. "I'm supposed to be your mate. So why was she the one you saved first?" Grayson looked at me like I was being ridiculous. "Bianca and I grew up together. I've always seen her as a sister. Why are you even comparing yourself to her?" "And if you had to choose between us?" I asked. He frowned like I'd deliberately tried to make his life difficult. "Don't put me in that position, okay? You both matter to me." Then he reached for my hand. "I'll make it up to you. From now on, anything Bianca gets, you get too. I promise." Our mating ceremony was just around the corner. I didn't want to throw away everything we'd built, so after days of hesitation, I forgave him. I should have known better. The day before our ceremony, he betrayed me. While we were signing the final paperwork, Bianca suddenly swept her hair over one shoulder. A faint red mark stood out against the back of her neck. I froze and stared at her. Bianca saw me staring, but instead of hiding it, she smiled and wrapped herself around Grayson's arm. "I was worried Grayson might be too rough with you since he'd never done it before. So I let him practice on me first." For a split second, Grayson actually looked uncomfortable. Then his expression hardened. "We didn't do anything wrong. You're the one I'm taking as my mate. There's no reason to get jealous over Bianca." He paused before adding, "I didn't want to hurt you because I didn't know my strength. Bianca was just teaching me what to do." They talked about it like it was no big deal. Bianca bit her lower lip, putting on that innocent look she always used around him. "Camille, I'm sorry. If you're upset, I'll leave." Grayson's face immediately darkened. "Don't blame Bianca. I take our mating ceremony seriously. That's why I asked her to help me. Everything I did was for you." There it was again. Somehow, they had betrayed me, yet they put every bit of the blame on me. They talked about loyalty like it was some silly little game. I finally saw them for what they were. I smiled at them both. "It's fine. I don't mind." Grayson's eyes flickered with surprise at how easily I'd said it. "Camille, you really don't mind?" Before I could answer, Bianca took his hand and pulled him toward the pack administration building. He let her drag him inside, still calling to me over his shoulder, "Camille, this is for your sake. I'm learning how to be a good mate beforehand. Once I've learned, we'll hold our ceremony. I'm only doing this for you." As long as he claimed it was for my own good, he thought he could hurt me however he wanted. What he didn't know was that he had already broken my heart. I didn't want the ceremony anymore either. Chapter 2 Once they were out of sight, I turned around and took a cab home. The first thing I did was call a number in my contacts that I'd never used before. "Vanessa, it's me. You offered me a job at your company before. I've thought about it, and I've decided to take it." She paused. "You're sure? Taking the job means transferring your pack registration. Aren't you about to have your mating ceremony with Grayson?" "The ceremony is off. I'm leaving this pack in a few days anyway, so transferring my registration is exactly what I need." I worked out the details of the job. Then I saw that Bianca had posted something new on Instagram. It was a photo of the two of them wearing matching rings, their fingers intertwined. They were both beaming, and the comments were flooded with congratulations. [Congratulations. Childhood sweethearts, made for each other.] [Look at the way the Alpha looks at Bianca. He can't take his eyes off her. You two are clearly meant for each other.] I read through the well wishes and couldn't help laughing at myself. Nobody cared that I was supposed to be Grayson's mate. As I sat there staring at the screen, my father mind-linked me. The moment the link opened, he started cursing. He was ready to come over right then and tear Grayson apart. "I told you that boy was no good. No daughter of mine is putting up with this. I'll arrange another match for you. We're done with him." Back when Grayson and I first got together, my father had been strongly against it. He was the Alpha of a powerful pack, and Grayson's pack wasn't even half as strong as his. As far as my father was concerned, Grayson was nowhere near good enough for me. But I pleaded with him, and Grayson knelt in the snow for three days and three nights just so we could be together. In the end, my father gave in. And now Grayson had betrayed me. "There's a pack alliance banquet coming up. Every major Alpha will be there. Go and see if anyone catches your eye. Say the word and I'll set it up." I'd only just decided to give up on Grayson. I wasn't ready to start another relationship so soon. But my father was still furious, and refusing him would only make things worse. After some hesitation, I agreed to go to the banquet. Maybe Grayson realized he had gone a little too far that day. Before the banquet started, he came to me first instead of Bianca. It made her furious. On the drive there, Grayson kept messaging her to explain himself. She sulked the entire time and refused to answer him. He gave me a helpless look and shook his head. "Camille, Bianca's already mad at me because of you. Isn't that enough? You can stop being upset now." I didn't answer. I just stared out the window. The second the car stopped, I opened the door and got out. I had only taken a few steps when I heard Bianca's coy, complaining laugh behind me. Bianca had her arms wrapped around Grayson's waist, scolding him for not picking her up first. He kept trying to explain himself, making them look like the real couple while I was some shameful homewrecker on the side. The banquet was half over by the time they finally came in, laughing together. Grayson's face stiffened when he saw me. He immediately stepped away from Bianca. He walked over and was about to speak when another Alpha approached and raised a glass to him. "Grayson, I hear your mating ceremony is coming up. Congratulations." Someone beside him chimed in. "Your Luna is stunning. You're a lucky man." Bianca gave a sweet laugh beside him. "Oh, stop. You're too kind." Everyone around them suddenly fell silent and stared at her strangely. Everyone there knew I was the one who was supposed to become Grayson's mate. Bianca realized what she'd just said and shot Grayson a pleading look. Chapter 3 With everyone watching, Grayson slipped an arm around Bianca's shoulders without a second thought. He gazed down at her with a doting smile. "She is. My Luna is breathtaking." No one knew how to react. The room went painfully silent. Then Grayson mind-linked me. "Bianca just said the wrong thing. I was saving her pride. You didn't expect me to let her stand there and embarrass herself, did you?" Except Bianca wasn't the one being humiliated. I was. Every person in that room turned to stare at me like I was the punchline of some joke. Fine. I played along. "That's right. Bianca is the one having the mating ceremony with Grayson, not me." I'd given Grayson exactly what he wanted, but instead of looking satisfied, something complicated crossed his face. "Bianca was only trying it first for you. Everything we did was for your own good." For my own good? I'd heard those words so many times they meant nothing to me anymore. They slept together for my own good. She sat at the head table while I was pushed off to the side for my own good. She always came first, and I got whatever she didn't want. Was that for my own good too? Bianca was the first woman to wear a wedding dress for Grayson. She was the first woman to exchange vows with him before the statue of the Moon Goddess. And she was the first woman he took to bed. Was all of that supposed to be for me? I couldn't understand it. They had grown up together. Somehow, that had become their excuse for everything. It was ridiculous. I blinked back the tears burning in my eyes. Then a slender hand came down on my shoulder. "Camille, I meant well. You just don't understand." Bianca lowered her eyes, looking miserable. "A mating ceremony is serious. I didn't want Grayson walking into it completely unprepared, so I practiced everything with him first. But I never thought..." She trailed off, then shook her head. "Never mind. Since it bothers you..." She turned toward the door. "I'll just go. I don't want to be the reason you two break up." Grayson immediately grabbed her arm. "No. You did nothing wrong. I know you meant well. Some people just don't appreciate it." He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. "You saw it yourself, Camille. She's willing to leave for your sake. How far are you going to push her? Do you want to push her to her death?" He didn't ask me a single question. He just decided I was to blame. Once, that would have made me furious. I would've fought him on it. We'd spent entire weekends arguing because I kept demanding that he choose between Bianca and me. Every time, he'd back down, apologize, and promise it would never happen again. Sometimes, he'd even swear an oath. Then Bianca would need him, and every promise he'd made to me would disappear like it had never existed. Once. Twice. Every time. I was tired. I didn't have the energy to fight anymore. Chapter 4 "If you apologize to Bianca right now, I can pretend none of this happened," Grayson said coldly. "I'm sorry." The words came out so easily that Grayson just stared at me. For several seconds, he said nothing. "No, that isn't what I..." He tried to explain, then suddenly stopped himself. "I'm tired. If there's nothing else, I'm going home." I walked out of the banquet hall without looking back. "Camille, wait!" The second I stepped outside, Grayson rushed after me. "Camille, stop making a scene, okay? Everyone is watching. Do you know how bad you're making me look?" Of course. Even now, he only cared about himself. "It's nothing. I hope you and Bianca are happy." I reached up and pulled the wolf-fang necklace from my neck. It was the love token Grayson had given me. I didn't want it anymore. He refused to take it, so I tossed it at him and turned away. I hurried off before he could see the tears running down my face. "Camille, wait!" He caught up with me and grabbed my wrist. "You did that on purpose, Camille. You wanted to corner Bianca and humiliate me." For one stupid second, I'd thought he'd chased after me to apologize. His accusation stopped me dead. "I thought I was the one who wasn't ready for the ceremony. Now I see you aren't ready to be a Luna. "You're selfish, petty, and jealous. You know perfectly well there's nothing between Bianca and me. You're the one I'm having the ceremony with. "But you still told everyone I slept with her. Now you're throwing our love token back at me. What exactly are you trying to say?" So that was what bothered him. Bianca's reputation. Not why I was angry. Not how badly he'd hurt me. Just Bianca. Whatever. I should've been used to it by now. When Bianca was involved, she always came first. On my birthday, Grayson and I had planned to spend the day together in the Moonlight Forest. But when I opened the car door, Bianca was already sitting in the passenger seat. "I get carsick, so Grayson told me to sit up front. You don't mind, do you, Camille?" Grayson sat behind the wheel without saying a word. That silence told me everything. I almost slammed the door and left. But I'd been looking forward to that birthday trip for two weeks. So I swallowed my anger and got into the back. I never imagined we'd be ambushed by rogues along the way. They surrounded the car. Grayson grabbed Bianca, scooped her into his arms, and charged straight through them without a thought for his own life. He forgot all about me. All he saw was Bianca and her injuries. He carried her straight to the hospital, leaving me behind alone with a pack of starving rogues. Only after Bianca was safe did he finally remember I existed and send his guards back for me. By the time they found me, three of my ribs were broken. My body was covered in wounds and I was dying. Grayson threw every medical resource the pack had at saving me. He even paid a fortune for a witch's potion. Then he stayed beside my bed for three days and three nights, swearing he'd never abandon me again. But when one pack war after another broke out, Bianca was still the first person he sent to safety. I nearly fell into enemy hands and became a prisoner. Later, on a rainy night when the roads were dark and slick, I got into a car accident. Grayson didn't come to me. He went to Bianca because she was afraid of the thunder. My treatment was delayed, and my leg never fully recovered. It didn't matter how small Bianca's problem was. If she needed him, Grayson would abandon me without hesitation. After being disappointed that many times, I should've understood. In Grayson's heart, I would never matter as much as Bianca. And I was finally too tired to fight it anymore. Chapter 5 "Yes. You're right about everything." When I didn't argue, whatever Grayson had been about to say died on his lips. But his pride as an Alpha wouldn't let him back down. "Camille, you know that isn't what I meant." I nodded. "I understand. You two grew up together. You've never crossed any lines." Thinking I'd finally come around, he gave my head an approving pat. "I knew you were the sensible one. Bianca meant well too. If she did anything that upset you, I'll talk to her later." Talk to her? He treated Bianca like she was something precious. He'd never scold her because of me. I knew that, but I nodded anyway. "All right." At the pack celebration, I was supposed to be the future Luna. Yet I wasn't even allowed to sit beside Grayson. Instead, he put me at a table in the corner. Bianca swept in wearing an expensive couture gown and took the seat of honor like it belonged to her. Everyone there knew it was a blatant provocation. Grayson still rushed to defend her. "She's been sitting next to me since we were children. It's a habit. I can't embarrass her in front of everyone." "You're going to be Luna. Try to be generous." Later, when Bianca's lease ran out, she moved in with us. Grayson emptied out my bedroom and gave it to her, then moved me into the cramped guest room. "Bianca has been sickly since she was little. She needs plenty of sunlight, and your room gets the most. It's just somewhere to sleep. You'll be fine in the guest room." If a bedroom was really just somewhere to sleep, why couldn't Bianca take the guest room? Why was I always the one who had to give something up? Every time I asked, Grayson gave me the same excuse. "Bianca and I grew up together. I only see her as my sister. Are you seriously jealous of someone I consider my sister? "If there were anything going on between us, do you think I'd be with you?" This time, I didn't bother asking. What is the point when I already know what he would say? I swallowed hard. When I finally spoke, my voice was hoarse. "Grayson, I don't want to go through with the mating ceremony." "What did you say? You're canceling our ceremony over something this small?" Grayson stared at me, furious. I opened my mouth, but before I could answer, Bianca's urgent voice came from behind me. "Grayson, come here. The dance is about to start. You promised to be my dance partner. You're not going to leave me standing here alone, are you?" She hurried over and took his arm. "Sorry about this, Camille. He promised me first. I'm only borrowing him for a little while." Grayson gave me an awkward look. "Camille, you're probably just tired. That's why you're saying things you don't mean. Go home and get some rest. I'm busy, so I can't take you home." He didn't even ask why I'd said it. He simply decided I was talking nonsense and walked away without another thought. I watched him leave, my heart sinking a little more with every step he took. Grayson never broke a promise to Bianca. But when it came to me, keeping his word was nothing more than another chore to cross off his list. It didn't matter. I'd already seen him for who he was. Chapter 6 The moment I got home, I started packing. I separated my things and threw out anything that reminded me of Grayson. By the time I finished, everything I owned fit inside one small suitcase. The things Grayson had given me couldn't even fill a small box. He used to shower me with gifts on our anniversaries. But whenever Bianca liked something, Grayson gave it to her without a second thought. He never asked if I was okay with it. He never cared if it hurt. Then she took over my room, along with most of my clothes. She had the bedroom remodeled and added an enormous walk-in closet. Soon, the entire room was overflowing with designer clothes and expensive jewelry. I'd always assumed Bianca was rich. Only later did I realize the things in that closet alone were worth as much as a house, and Grayson had paid for every bit of it. We'd been together for eight years, and he'd never put that much thought or money into anything for me. Of course it hurt. A tear splashed onto the back of my hand. I tilted my head back and blinked the rest away. There was only one thing left to do. I went to the pack office. "Hello. I'd like to apply to leave the pack," I said, handing the form to the clerk. She took it, then looked up at me in surprise. "Aren't you the future Luna? You're leaving too?" I opened my mouth to explain, but someone snatched the form out of my hand. Bianca was leaning against the desk, reading my application with open contempt. She gave a cold little laugh. "At least you know your place. You've finally realized Grayson loves me. Now get out and stay away from us." She turned a sharp glare on the clerk handling my form. The young woman flinched and looked away. "Who did you just call the future Luna?" Bianca demanded. The clerk kept her head down, too frightened to answer. Bianca slammed the form down on the desk. "Get it straight. It might only be for a few days, but right now, I'm this pack's Luna." The clerk nodded, trembling. Bianca smirked, grabbed a pen, and signed my form with a flourish. "As Luna, I approve your application. Now leave, and don't ever come back to bother Grayson and me again." I picked up the form. "Thank you. I'll leave immediately. You'll never have to see me again." Bianca smiled in satisfaction and strutted off in her heels. Once she was gone, I turned back to the clerk. "My father gave this pack five large factories, 15 million dollars in investment, and development plans for his core technology. Those assets were mine. Now I want them back." The clerk quickly composed herself and searched the records. "I'm sorry, Camille. They're all registered in Bianca's name." Chapter 7 My mind went blank. Those assets were meant for me. My father had worried I'd struggle in Grayson's pack, so he'd invested all of it for my sake. He'd made it clear that everything belonged to me. So how had it ended up under Bianca's name? The clerk saw the disbelief on my face and turned her screen toward me. Every single asset was registered to Bianca. But I couldn't remember ever transferring any of it to her. I searched through the documents until I found the date on the last contract. It was Bianca's birthday. Suddenly, the pieces fell into place. I remembered that day. Grayson had brought me a thick stack of contracts. "Camille, I need you to sign these." I was busy at the time, so I signed them without even looking. I assumed it was just pack business. I trusted Grayson completely. It never crossed my mind that he would deceive me. Much less that he'd secretly give Bianca everything my father had given me. On her birthday, I gave Bianca an expensive gemstone necklace, while Grayson didn't give her anything. I remember wondering why. Then he said, "I already gave her something, and it was from both of us. We're about to become mates, so of course we're one." I'd actually been happy to hear that. I thought Grayson was finally learning to keep some distance from Bianca. I never dreamed that his gift from both of us was everything I owned. I stared at the contract as all the strength drained from my body. I sank into a chair, tears streaming down my face. I'd been such a fool to trust him. It took me a long time to pull myself together. Then I turned to the clerk. "Is Grayson still in the administration building?" She looked at me in alarm, hesitating over whether to answer. I already had my answer. "All right. I understand. Thank you." The service desks were on the first floor, and Grayson's office was on the top floor. I went straight for the elevator. Those thirty seconds felt like a lifetime. The doors finally opened, and I ran straight for his office. One look at my face, and everyone moved out of my way. I kicked the office door open. Bianca was sitting on Grayson's lap, flirting with him. She didn't even bother getting up when she saw me. Instead, she gave me a smug look. Grayson seemed to realize how bad it looked and gave her a warning glance. Bianca didn't budge. He cleared his throat and said, "Bianca was asking me about some work. She's only sitting here because she needs to see my screen. Don't read into it." The way he defended her without a second thought made my chest tighten. I bit my lip and slammed the documents onto his desk. "Grayson, what the hell is this?" He glanced at the pages, frowned for a moment, then sighed like I'd barged in over nothing. "That's what this is about? Did you really have to come storming in here over this?" "Over this?" Everything I owned, and he called it nothing. "My father gave me those assets because he was worried I'd struggle in this pack. They were my only safety net, and you gave them away to someone else?" Grayson didn't look guilty in the slightest. Instead, he made it sound like I was the unreasonable one. "What do you mean, yours and mine? Your father invested those assets in my pack. And even if they really belonged to you, we're about to complete our mating ceremony. What's yours is mine. Besides, didn't you agree to this yourself?" He pointed at my signature on the document. "That's your signature right there. Bianca is a weak Omega with no family. She's all alone in this pack, barely getting by. "I've always been like a brother to her. How could I not help her? Those assets give her some security here. If I can't even look after someone I consider my sister, what kind of Alpha would that make me?" He genuinely believed he'd done nothing wrong. To him, I was throwing a fit over nothing. All he cared about was his reputation, his authority as Alpha, and making sure Bianca had a place in the pack. He didn't care about me. He didn't care what his favoritism had cost me. He thought Bianca needed those assets to survive. Apparently, he'd forgotten why my father had given them to me in the first place—to make sure I could build a life of my own. Chapter 8 I stared at him, my eyes bloodshot with rage. Grayson sighed when he saw me. "Camille, stop making a scene, okay? This is the pack administration building. Everyone is watching. You don't really want to make this ugly, do you?" I took a deep breath and forced myself to swallow my anger. "Fine. I won't make a scene. If you think Bianca needs those assets to survive in this pack, then I don't want them. Five factories, the investment, and the core technology project." I counted them off on my fingers. "Give me six billion dollars instead." The moment he heard the number, Grayson shot to his feet. "Camille, you barged into my office and humiliated me in front of everyone, and I haven't even held that against you. Now you're demanding money from me?" Bianca placed a hand on his chest and tried to calm him down. "It's all right, it's all right. If Camille insists on getting that money back, I'll pay it." She looked up at me, her eyes filling with tears as her voice began to tremble. "It's just that no matter how hard I work, I could never earn that much. I guess I'll have to sell myself and use my body to pay her back." Minutes ago, she'd been throwing her weight around the registry office. Now she was suddenly helpless and pitiful. The hypocrisy made my stomach turn. I said coldly, "Fine. You offered. Pay me back. I don't care how you get the money. Just give me what's mine!" "Enough!" Grayson slammed his hand on the desk and stepped between us. "That's enough, Camille." His dark eyes were full of concern for Bianca and disgust for me. "How did I never notice how vicious you are? Are you really trying to drive Bianca to her death?" I clenched my teeth. "When you owe someone money, you pay it back. That's how the world works. If she was willing to take everything, she should've known she'd have to answer for it someday—" A sharp slap cut me off. The sound cracked through the entire office. Half my face instantly burned and swelled. Before I could even recover, Grayson's furious voice hit me. "Camille, I've spoiled you too much. You've forgotten when to keep your mouth shut. "You signed that contract yourself. You willingly gave Bianca those assets. Now you've changed your mind and expect her to pay you back. "You know perfectly well she has no money. If you keep pushing her, you're going to leave her with no choice but to die." He pulled her into his arms and comforted her like she was something fragile and precious. Then he turned a wary look on me. Bianca gripped his shirt and sobbed softly. "I'm sorry, Grayson. This is all my fault. I'm the reason you two are falling apart. I know Camille has never liked me. I'll leave quietly. "I'll find a way to pay her back. I'll sell my body. I'll sell my organs. Whatever it takes, I'll pay her back." She pulled away from him and walked toward the door. But when she reached me, she stopped. Her voice dropped to a contemptuous whisper. "If you're leaving, then leave. You've already seen how this ends. Stick around any longer, and don't blame me for what comes next." I gritted my teeth. "Aren't you afraid Grayson will find out what you really are?" She gave a soft, smug laugh. "If you want to tell on me, go ahead. Let's see who he believes—you or me." My heart sank. She was right. Between Bianca and me, Grayson would always choose her. And if our stories conflicted, hers was the one he'd believe. Nothing I said would change that. Chapter 9 Grayson rushed over and grabbed Bianca's wrist. His eyes filled with concern. "Bianca, what are you saying? None of this is your fault. Don't say things like that. You're breaking my heart." She was crying so hard she could barely breathe. "But I-I really don't have the money." "You don't have to pay her a cent. Camille's the one pushing you too far." He glared at me. A second later, two guards stormed into the office and grabbed me by the arms. "You've gone too far this time, Camille. Take her home and let her cool off. Don't let her leave without my permission." Their grip was so tight I couldn't move. Grayson looked down at me with the cold contempt of a victor staring at his prisoner. One of the guards nodded. "Understood. We'll take the Luna home." Grayson's expression instantly hardened. His next words cut straight through me. "Camille and I haven't completed our mating ceremony. Bianca is the Luna for these three days. Get it right." The guards quickly nodded and dragged me out of the office like a rag doll. Everywhere we passed, people stopped and stared. "Isn't that the future Luna? Why are the guards dragging her out of the Alpha's office?" "Keep your voice down, or the Alpha will hear you. Bianca is the Luna now." "I thought that was only for show. They're actually serious about it?" "The Alpha wants Bianca to experience being Luna for three days, so she is the Luna until her time is up." "Poor Camille." Their whispers followed me down the hall. Some pitied me. Some mocked me. Others were simply enjoying the show. The guards dragged me so roughly that bruises spread across my legs. Still dazed, I looked up. For a second, I thought I saw Grayson's eyes soften. Then I blinked, and whatever tenderness I'd seen was gone. There was only indifference. Of course, I'd imagined it. Rain was pouring down outside, but the guards didn't care. They tossed me onto the street and left me there. I had no umbrella. So I walked home through the rain. When I got back, Grayson mind-linked me. "I may have gone a little too far, but you made a scene in front of everyone at my office today. If I hadn't punished you, everyone would've questioned my authority as Alpha. You understand that, don't you? "Once Bianca's trial Luna period is over, I'll finally take you on that vacation to the Moonlight Forest I promised. Okay? So stop being angry." I'd lost count of how many times he'd promised me that trip. And every single time, Bianca had ruined it. I wasn't expecting anything this time either. I just nodded and said flatly, "I understand." Apparently satisfied that I'd finally come to my senses, he brightened. "I knew you'd understand. Camille, no one means more to me than you." I wasn't angry anymore. I was just disappointed and utterly hopeless. That trip he'd promised me would never happen. Everything I owned in that house couldn't even fill a single suitcase. My flight left in an hour. One more hour, and I'd be gone from this pack for good. One more hour, and Grayson would be out of my life forever.